The 1-6-3 double play occurs when the ball is hit to the pitcher, referred to as 1. The ball is then thrown to the shortstop, referred to as 6, with the end goal of getting the runner out. The ball is later thrown to the first baseman, referred to as 3, to get the batter out.
Who Must Execute the 1-6-3 Double Play?
It is a technique that the pitcher, the shortstop, and the first baseman must execute adequately for the double play to be successful.
Who Needs to Work the Most in the 1-6-3 Double Play?
Accordingly, this kind of double play puts most of the work for the shortstop. Pitchers are used to throwing the ball to a person and not to a base. Hence, in this kind of double play, the pitcher usually makes the mistake of throwing the ball to the third-base side of the second base because this is where the shortstop will most likely come from. If the shortstop fails to approach the bag correctly and catch the ball, the 1-6-3 double play will not be successful. The reason behind this is because the shortstop will most likely lose his balance. He might also lose his momentum in trying to get to the first base.
What Should the Shortstop Do to Prevent the Failure of the 1-6-3 Double Play?
If the pitcher mistakenly throws the ball to the third-base side of the second base and not that close to the bag, the shortstop must act fast. The shortstop must make huge and quick steps towards the bag to get to the ball at the right time without losing his balance. However, once he is around five to six feet from the bag, he must decrease his speed and make his steps smaller. He must then assess if the pitcher’s throw is just above the bag or on the third-base side of the second base. If it is right over the bag, he must move quickly again. Otherwise, he should stop, catch the ball, then go to the bag.
Either way, the shortstop will not lose his balance and momentum.